OPEN LETTER: BERNADETTE PRICE

BROOKLYN, NEW YORK | BERNADETTE PRICE

INTERVIEW INNOCENT?

Bernadette Price, the wife of the late great Brownsville Brooklyn rap juggernaut Sean Price, (one half of the hip hop duo Heltah Skeltah), has earned her spot, over-stands the importance of her role and makes calculated moves like that of a queen on a chessboard to protect and carry on the legacy of her King, while providing for her family. Her transition from being behind the scenes to rocking the mic was a smooth one. When asked how she would like Sean P to be remember by fans, she had this to say, “I don’t care what nobody says about me, as long as they say I can rap, because to him, that’s all that mattered. You can’t take that away from him. He don’t give a fuck about none of that other shit, because it’s not for—the personal is not for the people, the music is what you’re here for. So, if you’re going to speak on something, speak the truth.”

Validated sat down with Bernadette to discuss life after Sean Price, learning the music business from and alongside Sean P, running Ruck Down Records, her  “Open Letter” record and more.

“I don’t care what nobody says about me, as long as they say I can rap, because to him, that’s all that mattered. You can’t take that away from him. He don’t give a fuck about none of that other shit, because it’s not for—the personal is not for the people, the music is what you’re here for. So, if you’re going to speak on something, speak the truth.”

VALIDATED: For those who don’t know, who is Bernadette Price?

BERNADETTE PRICE: Well, let’s just say I am the wife of deceased artist, Sean Price of the legendary Boot Camp and a CEO of RuckDown Records.

VALIDATED: So, to go back a bit, what’s your earliest memory of hip hop culture?

BERNADETTE PRICE: It started around, I’d say 11, 12, like everybody else, listening to the radio shows. 

VALIDATED: What kind of drew you to it?

BERNADETTE PRICE: I always liked it, that was always, you know, Hip-Hop was at it’s greatest back then, and I was one of those who listened to the radio shows, had my little tape cassette deck, record, and run back and forth, and pause, and rewind, and erase, tape over.

VALIDATED: I used to do that. Tear off the little piece of paper and put it in the whole. 

BERNADETTE PRICE: Right.

VALIDATED: Did you ever think you’d be rapping?

BERNADETTE PRICE: No. Well, you know I didn’t… (laughing) You ain’t never seen me on stage, bro.

VALIDATED: Before Price, before you got with Sean, you were into Hip-Hop, but did you rap? Did you actually like?

BERNADETTE PRICE: No, never. You know, growing up I was always surrounded by people that was into music, trying to get on with music, and then they got into the music. So, later on, it’s just like, “Oh shit, what up?” Everybody got in, basically.

VALIDATED: So, it was just something you kind of was prepped for early on?

BERNADETTE PRICE: Yeah, because I stayed going to shows, I was going to shows by myself back in the days, so that was always, that didn’t just start.

VALIDATED: You’re rapping now, and you’ve recently dropped a video for “Open Letter”, what made you decide to do it?

BERNADETTE PRICE: You know, everybody kept asking, and I guess seeing me doing tours and shows, and reiterating Sean’s rhymes, they’re like, “Uh, uh, we’ve got to hear you, because you sound like you’ve got something to say." And so, I gave it some thought. I’m still thinking on it. I’ve done a few things, as you can see that one song, the single that was like an open letter dedication, type thing, that’s it.

VALIDATED: What made you feel obligated to do that? There are people who have lost loved ones, that doesn’t mean they’re going to grab the mic. So, it’s got to be that inner Hip-Hop in you.

BERNADETTE PRICE: To each his own, but what’s crazy is like I said, after he passed, I don’t know, the shit was weird. Like, I started coming up with verses and shit, and I’m like, “Why am I? I never…” you know what I’m saying? Ain’t nobody but him doing that. I never in my life said, “Oh shit, let me write this down, I’ve got to…” you know what I mean? And then it started happening, but I’m slow ignoring it, and like, “Oh, nah.” I write it down anyway, but I’d be like, “Oh.” The first one I did a feature with was Rim, like I did, you know, little openings of albums , some are going to drop soon, and, you know, just introductions, not really rapping but Rim’s shit is the first one that I actually rhymed on.

VALIDATED: What’s the response to “Open Letter” so far?

BERNADETTE PRICE: I look at it, people love it, I get a lot of great responses, everybody likes it.

VALIDATED: Are you shocked at the response? Are you like, “Damn, like, oh shit, I can do this, let me do another song, let me go and call that director up?”

BERNADETTE PRICE: Yeah, I was.

VALIDATED: One thing I definitely respect and appreciate is the fact that, as you mentioned earlier, at shows, you’ll rap his verses, but even more so than that, it just seemed like that whole Duck Down team is a family. And it’s not a joke, it’s genuine. 

BERNADETTE PRICE: Yeah, we are. Everybody grew up together. For the most part, everybody knew each other before rap, when they were teens and shit. Like, we all was teens. I’m from the projects, just like they’re from the projects, you know what I’m saying? It just so happened that later on they started rapping, and they remained tight, like, they’re tight beyond rap, this has nothing to do with rap, they’re friends before rap. So, that’s why it’s more like a family, because they grew up with each other, for the most part.

VALIDATED: Nice, and the fact that with the success that they’ve had, they haven’t let it… You know how sometimes money comes into play and it can destroy friendship, family, business, whatever?

BERNADETTE PRICE: I mean, you know, things like that happen in every group, even with blood family members that happens, so it’s not too far fetched to happen. Like, niggas had problems, they just didn’t make problems public. We come from that era where , you know, if you’re friends and you’re family, you don’t do it that way, there’s a whole nother way to do it, but sometimes you’ve got to let the cat out the bag, to remind a motherfucker where they come from.

VALIDATED: We as fans remember Sean Price as an incredible MC.

BERNADETTE PRICE: Definitely.

VALIDATED: But how would you like for the fans to remember him?

BERNADETTE PRICE: Just as that, and like you said, I don’t care what nobody says about me, as long as they say I can rap, because to him, that’s all that mattered. You can’t take that away from him. He don’t give a fuck about none of that other shit, because it’s not for—the personal is not for the people, the music is what you’re here for. So, if you’re going to speak on something, speak the truth.

VALIDATED: Are you here for the rap? What does Bernadette want to do? Before this rap stuff, what did you want to do?

Bernadette Price: A morticianist, nurse, that’s right up my path. 

VALIDATED: Wait, a mortitionist, where did that come from?

BERNADETTE PRICE: Nah, I’m hands on with a lot of those things. I used to go to funeral homes and fraternize with the workers and be at the hospital all the time, and know how to read the machines, and that was what… So, when you know a lot of that stuff, it’s like I must have been meant to be this and not that, but it comes from, I guess, the gift given.

VALIDATED: Right, that’s dope. I wish I could do that. I haven’t totally devoted myself 100% to Hip-Hop, because I have to work.

BERNADETTE PRICE: No, you know what? I tell people all the time, it’s different from a person that decides, you know, or that’s their dream, to be an artist, from a person that just became that by default. Because if he was here, I wouldn’t—you know what I’m saying? There’s no reason, you know what I mean? But for the most part, I represent him and whoever’s in my circle. So, there’s nothing wrong with trying some of everything.

VALIDATED: You also executive produced his last album, is that something you’d like to do more of in the future?

BERNADETTE PRICE: Yeah, I’ve got a great ear for those types of things; he knew that. Like I would pick out an old beat, and I’ll be like, “You should try to flip this,” and sometimes, and most of the time it worked. He’d be like, “Damn, why didn’t I think of that?” So, that was, you know, unless he’s rapping to me and be like, “Yo, you like that? Or you think I could get away with that? Or you don’t mind if I say this, right?” Those types of things. You know he’s disrespectful. If I’m not okay with it, he ain’t going to say it.

VALIDATED: So, there’s been times where you would tell him no?

BERNADETTE PRICE: Nah, I’d be like, “Yo you mad cold,” but people like ignorance, and while he was here, that’s what everybody gravitated to, ignorance. Nobody wants to really too much listen to you preaching and trying to teach and stuff like that, everybody was going to ignorant shit, you know what I mean? Like, “Did you hear what the fuck he just said?!”

VALIDATED: Yeah.

BERNADETTE PRICE: Right, you know, definitely he’s a workaholic, like, “Fuck that, I’m going to get this shit out. I’m staying up,” you know anything we did, plenty of nights, up till the morning. You know Innocent? 

VALIDATED: Yeah, I remember he had me sitting in the studio like, “Yo, I got to go home,’ he’s like, “Nah, just one more, let’s just knock this shit out.”

BERNADETTE PRICE: One more turn into three more. Before you know it, the sun’s coming up.

VALIDATED: Do you feel a burden though, that you’ve got to hold it down?

BERNADETTE PRICE: No, and he always used to say the figure is four, so I guess at four I was supposed to stop, because you know you feel the shift of spirits. The shift, like you know, it goes up, it goes down, it gets stronger, it gets lighter. So, you feel that. That’s what I feel and I know whether to slow down or speed it up or… But for the most part, I know that its my turn, I’ve got to do what I’ve got to do. But I’m going to take a little break, because I dropped four things, or five things dropped, and he’s been gone for 5 years.

VALIDATED: Do you have any advice for someone who may be going through a loss?

BERNADETTE PRICE: I mean, you know, keeping them alive is—you as the person keeps them alive, to be moving and constantly taking care of things that were supposed to be taken care of. A lot of artists who passed on and they have wives and things like that, I wish they would get hands on, because then you’ll know what’s what, and can’t nobody say, they don’t know this, or they don’t know that.

If you’re not involved then, you know there’s not too much that you will know. But I advise people to start getting involved and people to start having those conversations, because life is short. That’s the difference, me and Sean had that conversation; he didn’t want to, I made him have the conversation. But that’s something you’ve got to have in order to have your shit in place, instead of you dying and then your lady be like, “I don’t know what to do,” or “I don’t know such and such, I don’t know this one.”

And you know I was glad, because Sean brought me everywhere, he made sure I knew everything. You know, being together all of them years, but in the beginning, no. But when shit got real, it was time to let everything out the bag, for the most part.

VALIDATED: That’s real, that’s commendable, that’s what it’s supposed to be about. That’s real love and loyalty. I’m sure your kids are learning from this, because I’ve met them, and they have good heads on their shoulders and that’s dope. People think rappers are, you know, we’re not smart, or we’re not this, and we’re not family oriented, but you broke all those stereotypes, and that’s why I rock with you. 

BERNADETTE PRICE: And they only think that because in Hip-Hop, like it was once said to be, like, “Oh, don’t bring your wife, don’t bring your girl. We got this over here, we got that,” or niggas thinking about what other niggas is going to stay, because they got their main chick there and they ain’t fraternizing with extras, and shit like that. If you’re a man, then you do what a man does, a man don’t hide what he got going on to please no fucking body. And that’s just the fact to it, that’s why Sean said, “I don’t give a fuck, even if a motherfucker was fucking with a bitch, a bitch wasn’t going to come and say nothing.”

VALIDATED: So, how’s life after Sean for you?

BERNADETTE PRICE: It’s challenging, you know, for a person that never really been on that, like I tell people all the time, the last time I was single, I must’ve been 19 years old or some shit.

VALIDATED: Was it hard for you to do that video? Like, did it take you long, mad takes, or you knocked it out easily?

BERNADETTE PRICE: No, it didn’t take that long, it’s not like that was the first video I was in, that was my first solo video.

VALIDATED: Anybody call you for a deal yet?

BERNADETTE PRICE: Yeah, right. They’re probably just waiting to see what the fuck I’m going to drop next, or if I’m going to drop something next.

People been hittin me up on some, “feature this, feature that”, or whatever, I be like, “Yo, $1,500.,” you don’t hear nothing from them no more. But fuck that. 

I mean, you know, everybody has to live, you know what I’m saying? It ain’t like I’m getting on stage and knocking out shows and doing all... That’s the advantage of the artist, they do features, they travel, they make money that way, you know? I’m a single mama.

VALIDATED: Right, I’m glad I had the honor and the privilege to meet you, both of you, it means a lot, and he dropped a lot of jewels on me, and I’ll always show you the utmost respect.

BERNADETTE PRICE: Yeah, always. He’d be like, “Yo Inno’s here we goin’…” (laughing)

VALIDATED: You already know. So, for the females that are out there, that are either artists, or they’re trying to start a label, or they have a man or a significant other that’s in the industry or trying to get into the industry, what piece of advice would you give them as far as what role they should play?

BERNADETTE PRICE: You’ve got to be patient; that’s the most important part, is being patient, and also supporting. I’ve met some people that, they’d be like, “Damn, I wish my girl was into Hip-Hop.” And I’d be like, “That’s awkward,” normally, you try to deal with someone that likes the things that you like, that makes the relationship much better to understand each other. Because if your girl don’t like Hip-Hop and you’re into Hip-Hop, that’s going to be a problem, because she’s not going to understand the late nights, or just in general what comes with that part of entertainment. You’ve just got to have patience and support him, that’s the biggest part. My mentality was, if you’re going to do this shit, you better do it.

VALIDATED: Right. 

BERNADETTE PRICE: Bill’s got to be paid, I don’t give a fuck what you’re going to do, but you’re going to do something that’s going to bring some money to keep these bills paid. So, if you’re going to be an artist then do it, because that’s a hustle. To me, that’s what this is, it’s a hustle. If you ain’t moving right, then you ain’t going to get no accolades or nothing. And nowadays you’ve got to be patient and kiss a lot of ass.

VALIDATED: You’ve got a lot of friends and family in the game, is anybody helping you with the rap shit, pulling strings and trying to do stuff for you? Or are they letting you rock on your own?

BERNADETTE PRICE: Basically, I do what I do. There’s always people out there and people that're willing to do those types of things or whatever. But I don’t really like bothering people, and I don’t like to be told no, and I don’t like to be taken advantage of. So, I try to keep my shit tight. I’ve been around this block before, not on the inside, but on the outside looking in. I’m trying not to make those same mistakes.

Look at it, the first year and a half, maybe two, everybody’s calling, checking, and this, that and the third, then after that it’s crickets. I don’t feel a way, I know that’s how it goes. In the beginning, everybody wants to be connected, or anybody related to anybody got this part, this piece, that, this, and the third will do an... But as time goes by, everybody fades the fuck out too. So that’s another thing that people got to learn to set their minds for. People are only there for that moment. Once that moment is gone, so the fuck are they. And you can’t even be mad, because some niggas do got a life, and then others, they’re just around to say, “I know him,” or “I know her,” or see what the fuck they could get out of you. And if they figure it out that they ain’t getting shit, they break the fuck out, they’re in the wind.

VALIDATED: You ever thought about doing a podcast?

BERNADETTE PRICE: No, because everybody and their mama’s doing podcasts, I don’t want to be in nobody's business. I’m not in nobody business, I don’t know nobody business, I couldn’t tell you nobody fucking business. You ask me the latest motherfucker that dropped a song, I couldn’t tell you. I am that far removed from people’s business.

VALIDATED: I’m talking more so from the standpoint of, you’ve got so many jewels, and nobody has the experience that you have, from the point of view that you have it from.

BERNADETTE PRICE: That’s true, so if you want to say on that note, I can agree, I could agree to do it on that note. I definitely could. Right, real life’s situations.

VALIDATED: I know you also mentioned about the label, have you ever thought about mentoring artists with the knowledge that you have?

BERNADETTE PRICE: No, I haven’t, because honestly, I’m still trying to get my stuff together, me doing this, this music of my own, you know, it’s easier to do… I don’t know, it was easier for me to do his shit with him not here, than it would have been with me doing it with him here, he probably would have changed things up a thousand times. Well, you know how he does, he changes all the time. No, let me tell you something, all right, New York does need to start sounding  like New York, this trap shit is out of hand.

VALIDATED: That’s all I’m saying. I don’t have anything against trap.

BERNADETTE PRICE: I’m not taking nothing from nobody, but those that did it, they were best at it. It’s like now you can’t even tell one state from another state, or borough from another borough, because everybody sounds the same, everybody’s trying to do what everybody else is doing.

VALIDATED: I say that all the time.

BERNADETTE PRICE: New York had the grimy, the gritty, the bars… but that trap, it’s cool, but you know, times are changing, and not saying that everybody got to adapt to trap, but like they say, you see one motherfucker win, everybody’s going to try. But, yeah, New York needs to sound like New York and come back to New York. There’s nothing wrong with trying new things, but don’t stay there, let it be a one and done, because you’re from New York.

VALIDATED: Right.

BERNADETTE: If we lose our spot, then we ain’t going to have a spot, everything is going to be trap.

VALIDATED: I miss when you could tell where people were from.

BERNADETTE PRICE: Oh, yeah, definitely, that’s exactly what I’m talking about… you can’t tell where nobody’s from.

VALIDATED: Right, you knew by certain bars, oh, he’s a Harlem cat, or he’s a Queens cat.

BERNADETTE PRICE: Certain bars, deliveries, yeah.

VALIDATED: Even by style of clothes, even down to the fashion. We had a whole dress code, you knew who was Brooklyn when you seen cats on a train. You seen cats from Queens, you knew they’re from Queens, cats had creases in their pants, etc.

BERNADETTE PRICE: To a certain degree, you could still spot a  Brooklyn nigga from a Queens nigga though.

VALIDATED: Always, it’s crazy. It wasn’t really like that too much for females, we didn’t know, like, we couldn’t tell.

BERNADETTE PRICE: You crazy, I used to hang in the Bronx, bro, and they knew. They was like, “Uh, oh, Brooklyn’s here.” They knew when Brooklyn was in the building. They say us Brooklyn girls is rough, that’s what they say about us over there.

VALIDATED: Right.

BERNADETTE PRICE: I don’t give a fuck, we got it rough just like anybody else. Shit, if the dude’s is rough, the bitches gonna be rough, what the fuck you thought.

VALIDATED: No, that’s facts. So, for the readers that want to support you, how can they find you on social media?

BERNADETTE PRICE: You can find me at @BernadetteAlwaysHumble on Instagram. Bernadette and Sean Price on Facebook. @RuckDownRecords on Instagram and @BernadettePric9 on Twitter.